Engineers demolish homes in wind tunnel tests to improve hurricane resilience

Researchers at a full-scale testing facility are systematically destroying residential structures to identify building vulnerabilities and develop better construction standards for extreme weather events.

First covered Oct 21, 2026 · 1:45 AM PT · 1 article · no longer in the live window

Engineers demolish homes in wind tunnel tests to improve hurricane resilience — Image via grist.org

Coverage

21d Grist At the Wall of Wind, engineers blow homes apart to learn how to save them

Primary sources

fema.gov Fema Rsl Hazus Estimated Average Annual Hurricane Wind Losses P 2429 (fema.gov)

weather.gov Tuscaloosa-Birmingham Tornado - April 27, 2011

More coverage from around the web

asce.org Engineering for hurricanes: Modeling bolsters mitigation as Atlantic season begins

yahoo.com At this FIU lab, engineers blow homes apart to learn how to save them

yahoo.com Wave-shaped building walls and roofs can cut hurricane wind pressure by up to 60%: study

scientificamerican.com The 'Wall of Wind' Can Blow Away Buildings at Category 5 Hurricane Strength

techxplore.com We blasted mobile homes with hurricane‑force winds to test how they fail to make affordable housing safer

Appeared in: 2026-10-21 (#19)

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